


Fitting In

by sicvas



Series: Lesbi-honest [2]
Category: Pitch Perfect (2012)
Genre: Dark Past, F/F, I do use far too many parentheses, Interrupted Intimacy, M/M, PDA, slightly OOC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-20
Updated: 2014-02-20
Packaged: 2018-01-13 05:20:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1214209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sicvas/pseuds/sicvas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Bellas have a wonderful start to the year. Once they all know who each other are. Some Chaubrey fluff, because they would be so cute.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Afternoon Daze

**Author's Note:**

> This is up to Christmas 2011 in the Bellas' and Trebles' calendar. Follows on from Settling In, but works perfectly well as a stand-alone fic. This will be multi-chapter. Yay.

"Afternoon!" Chloe chirps, like, actually chirps. It almost pisses Aubrey right off.

(Chloe isn't just a morning person, she is an all-day person. Sometimes Aubrey just feels lucky it's so easy to dampen her spirits, but quickly chastises herself for being such a terrible person and makes up doubly enough.

She thinks Chloe's twigged this and pouts more because of it, but she's so damn adorable Aubrey doesn't even care that half the time she feels like Chloe's her  _child_  rather than her  _girlfriend._

If she had a child like Chloe, though, she doesn't know if she'd be more exasperated or enamored...)

"Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" the bubbly 22 - _twenty-fucking-two **years** old_  - year old companionably inquires while chucking a bag of jelly donuts onto the back of the piano where Aubrey's leaning.

Once Aubrey's decided that she finds Chloe's improper grammar more cute than annoying, "Having kids like you" comes out instinctively - over the years she's grown used to just being able to talk with Chloe, and to recognizing that Chloe  _will_  get anything out of you, so it's best not to even try hide it in the first place - before checking with her brain. Her brain decides to kick her temples and make her gag as punishment for saying something it didn't want to as soon as it sees endless emotions run through Chloe's face.

The overly-expressive young woman's face settles on what Aubrey thinks (but with Chloe it's always so hard to tell: so many emotions make up one face) is pleasantly surprised with a dash of pure bliss and _sugar and spice and all things nice_ \- but that's always there before the blonde starts gagging and puts a fist to her mouth, her other palm flat against her sternum. At this it turns to concern but the bliss, and the love in her eyes, remains.

"Aubrey, you okay? Honey? Will you speak to me?" Chloe's aware that, sometimes, if Aubrey dared open her mouth a fountain of partially-digested something would spew forth.

"Mm-hmm." She mutters, mouth sealed but fist relaxing. She becomes suddenly very aware of Chloe holding her; three years ago that alone would practically make her vomit, now it's the most calming thing in the world, and she allows her entire body to relax into Chloe's before removing her fist completely, assuring Chloe "I'm okay" as she turns with both hands raised slightly in front of her, calming her further. They're also in the perfect position to land on Chloe's shoulders. "Thank you." Aubrey smiles, Chloe smiles then pulls her into a massive hug.

"What?" Aubrey asks, genuinely surprised as to what it could be for. Yes, Chloe hugs her all the time, but she's rarely bouncing at the same time. It's making Aubrey motion-sick (shut up, at least she's not bulimic like all of last year's Bellas.) "Er, Chloe, you happy 'bout something?"

Chloe pulls back, "Everything, always," she grins, "but I'm especially happy at what you just said." Chloe is, despite what many think, not a complete and utter ditz, and so quiets, actually seeming a bit shy when she adds, "Since puke-gate nearly happened again, I thought I wouldn't talk about it, just hug you. Because I like hugging you."

Shuffling her feet and watching them self-consciously while saying such a thing with a pout on her face and in a tiny child-like voice makes Aubrey's heart swell. Every time that happens it does make her feel slightly like a pedophile, but she suddenly recognizes she's only more in love with Chloe when she behaves like this is because of the innocence and openness and that she will say the darnedest things. Not because she's like a child. No child has tits like that. Aubrey smirks, then remembers what has just transpired and attacks Chloe, quite literally tackling her to the floor with a hug.

"You are so..." Aubrey tries, but there is no word to describe Chloe. She's about to just say 'I love you' when the fun side of her managed to force itself out and she says "Umpsquidaloopydaisifun." Chloe looks at her with that surprised but impressed face that has started showing up more around Aubrey. It suddenly changes, though, to hurt - which automatically makes Aubrey hurt, as if they're connected symbiotically.

"Was that an insult?" Chloe asks, a little too hurt.

"N-no," Aubrey quickly assures her, hurt a little too much herself that Chloe would ever even consider thinking Aubrey would ever do that, "I could never find anything about you to insult. You're perfect, baby." Chloe beams, but Aubrey's not finished, "I - just - couldn't fathom a word to accurately sum you up - I couldn't even start a list - so I... made one up." She didn't realize where her mini-ramble was headed and so tacks the last admission on  _very_ self-consciously.

Chloe winks at her with such a pervy grin Aubrey doesn't understand how she ever felt like the dirty one around this girl - she'd swear Chloe had bipolar, if she knew what she was on about.

"You're becoming fun!" Chloe giggles excitedly, pushing Aubrey to free herself so they're kneeling together on the floor of the Bellas' rehearsal space. "Aaannnndddd..." she starts, drawing out the word and causing Aubrey to roll her eyes. Because of this, though, she starts lifting her knees to make a drum-roll and draws it out even longer until Aubrey can't hold back a face-splitting grin at her girlfriend's antics, "you know a whole ton of words I won't ever know we needed, so I must be pretty special." Chloe forces out quickly and nearly as self-consciously as Aubrey had before.

Aubrey smiles even wider - note: that's definitely possible - and looks down at the ground whilst saying "You're not just pretty special." Then she looks up and right into Chloe's perfect deep blue eyes when explaining "You're the most special person in the World." Chloe's eyes well up with tears that make them look like tiny summer lagoons Aubrey just wants to dive into, smiling so brightly anyone would think it was Summer and not nearly Thanksgiving.

The slightly younger ginger wraps Aubrey up in the biggest hug she's ever managed and Aubrey, who sometimes (read: often) gets annoyed at being squeezed into nearly needing to hyperventilate upon release just feels privileged, and not squeezed at all. Chloe's biggest hugs, you see, are, well,  _big_ , her arms encompass you fully, not trying to meld both your bodies together but keep you close.

"Thank you." She mutters against Aubrey's neck. Aubrey knows, has for a while, that Chloe's had some severe self-esteem problems. Not confidence. They are two different things and if she has to explain that to one more person she will snap.

(And she'd probably just get it printed onto little cards to hand out, instead, because they still need to know, and she's continuously suspicious of Wikipedia's level of accuracy, so she wouldn't direct them there, and she most certainly would not leave them with something so open-ended as "just Google it".

Nor would she use 'Google' as a verb in the first place. It's a proper noun.)

As a direct result of one factor which also caused Chloe's self-esteem problems, she lives with her Aunt and uncle in Tampa. So, once she's cried it out for only 10 seconds now, she pulls back and asks Aubrey "You coming down to ours for Thanksgiving?" Wherever Aubrey went she'd be going 'down' - her family lives in Aiken, which is further South than Atlanta despite the general description of it being "due East, as soon as you hit the State Line you're there" as her (very Southern-accented) uncle determinedly asserts to Chloe. It's not. That's McCormick. If she didn't go to Aiken she'd head to Louisiana where her immediate family (parents, siblings) live; she's practically emancipated (her choice, not them disowning her) - but she knows what Chloe means and isn't pedantic enough to mention otherwise.

"Of course, baby."

Chloe smiles as if there's even more to be happy about at this news than there should, it makes Aubrey suspicious but in a warm, fuzzy way - there can only be a good surprise, right? - so she smiles broadly as well before leaning in to peck Chloe on the lips.

Aubrey had planned to stand up after the minimal PDA and get back to organizing the reams of sheet music and fundraising schedules on the piano, but Chloe drags her back in for another kiss, licking Aubrey's lips. While she doesn't open her mouth, Aubrey does allow herself to be led backwards onto the floor. Of course, because she was kneeling up, this means she must spread her legs, as they're still bent, so as not to really hurt herself and potentially pull something, Chloe resting between them as they continue making out on the floor.

Chloe's arms are still on Aubrey's sides and she feels weird keeping her own lifeless on the floor so she brings them up to frame Chloe's face, but with her adrenaline that soon becomes the back, gripping fiery locks, clinging to perfectly tanned shoulders, stroking well toned arms, gripping just-noticeable hips, trailing up even sides and then, as she finally does open her mouth in pleasured moaning and to let her and Chloe's tongues dance, burning as they slip under Chloe's tight tank top. Her delicate fingertips' feather touch briefly skim the lace underside of Chloe's bra with so much passion so gently that Chloe lets slip a delicate moan simultaneously with Aubrey's own and, unfortunately, a large number of the Bellas marching into the rehearsal space together. If either of the captains were collected enough they'd notice Beca and Amy at the front, marching their troops back to base camp from a mission to the nearest fast food restaurant, evident by the fact that it's just before 1pm and because of the branded soda cups and take-out trays many are wielding.

None of the legions seem to be all that collected - distracted by Amy's funny stories or otherwise engrossed in their own conversations - either, as none notice the lovemaking-about-to-happen on the floor until Beca, walking backwards to pay better attention to Amy's rambunctious monologue on something Australian, falls right onto them. Surprisingly, it takes Aubrey longer than Chloe to catch up to the fact that they're no longer alone, only really noticing when, upon Beca suddenly realizing and jumping up, the short girl retorts "Urgh, really, guys? You have tainted the sacred Bella sanctum!"

Amy seems appalled. "Hey, only I get to call it that, short stack."

"Short stack, huh? I bet I'll have outgrown you by the end of the year!" Beca calls out to Amy.

"Nuh-uh, we in college now, B, we don't grow no more," Cynthia-Rose asserts as she moves up to the front of the pack, then turns to face the little brunette, finishing sincerely with "except as people."

"Wow. That was deep." Lilly mumbles from somewhere behind them, but only Stacie seems to hear, nodding along.

After an awkwardly long pause filled by Aubrey and Chloe clambering up from the floor and adjusting their clothes before Aubrey trying to look authoritatively over the gathered Bellas (Chloe just has a satisfied but suspiciously Cheshire-cat-like grin on and she stands to one side), Amy questions only half sarcastically "So... is this really just a set-up for a big lesbian orgy?" Everyone except Aubrey, Beca included, breaks out in spluttering laughs or at least cracks a grin as they hold it back, the blonde captain's face instead reading disapproval and practically yelling inappropriate. "Cos, you know, I'm totally okay, that's, like, totally your own choice, and I guess Chloe doesn't even have a soul anyway so no Hell for her, but, I'm just not into girls, guys." After Chloe's momentary offence, they all start laughing out loud this time. Aubrey's mouth contorts into what Beca assumes is it trying to form an amused grin, too.

Once they're all calmed down Aubrey confirms, "No, Amy. We're totally an aca-awesome a cappella group." This is the first day of rehearsals and her own confirmation makes Aubrey remember that she's going to have to kick Mary-Elise out today. Shame, she thinks again, and turns serious. She spies Mary-Elise not even looking a little shameful, guilty or worried chatting happily with Denise and Stacie and, realizing the other girl doesn't understand she's tainted, feels a lot less regretful at the action. Of course, she was so dazed this morning at the fact that  _Chloe is now her girlfriend (SQUEE!)_ she totally set out enough chairs for both Mary-Elise  _and_ the other traitor what's-her-name-with-the-attitude. Ah, well, she can make a demonstration. Make an example of what happens to those who get Treble boned now that the wolves have been confiscated ( _someone -_ Chloe - may have accidentally informed staff that the Bellas did, in fact, have wolves at the ready in a little farm just on the North side of Barden should anyone break the oath, the wolves may have been moved to Seattle or... somewhere in that general area of Washington. The forest up there.)

Aubrey's suddenly really curious. Because of how they're doing. Yeah. No other reason, and turns to Beca. "Hey, Beca."

"Huh?" The girl turns to her. Aubrey's been lost in her own world but that's okay because Chloe immediately got to sorting the stacks she distracted Aubrey from doing and everyone else began engaging in each other again.

"You're from, like, Seattle, right?"

"Maine. I'm from Maine."

"Oh." Aubrey blushes and looks down. They're both in the far North, at least she's not from Arizona of something. (Aubrey could never imagine anyone would ever believe that, though, the tiny girl is also deathly pale.)

"But, um, I lived in Washington." Aubrey perks up as Beca clearly throws her a line, quickly adding the statement and so preventing Aubrey from showing herself up.

Cynthia Rose, who was talking with Beca, adds on jokingly, "DC, right?" Beca chuckles and accepts the fist pump, then turns back to Aubrey sheepishly.

"Er, why?" she asks.

"Oh, er, nevermind."

"No, seriously, it's chill." The language makes Aubrey want to be sick because, seriously, who has ever said that. Well, maybe people from Washington or Maine, she thinks, smiling to herself as she burns holes in her shoes, two States she has deemed too permanently cold to visit without good reason.

"Erm, what's that place, near Seattle? There's a forest there." She doesn't really know why she wants to know, she won't be needing the wolves if she does show people up today, but Beca does seem to actually be decent enough.

"Erm, like, most of Washington? What? You'll need to be more specific." She laughs wholeheartedly, not a girly giggle, but it's cohesive and almost, dare she say it, friendly?!

"Little place. Near a lake, I think."

"Oh, like Port Angeles? That's near where I lived. Really small town, Port Angeles is a little bigger. Has a shop or two."

"I've heard of Port Angeles, it's not there." So, Port Angeles was at least sort-of near Seattle. Beca was now giving her a geography lesson.

"So, like, smaller? Like, La Push? That's a res that borders the lake. Or, er, Forks? Minuscule. That's where I lived." The name rings a bell, and it certainly wouldn't be something you'd acknowledge or remember enough with the words being said practically every day. Forks and Push, isn't Washington great? Aubrey asks herself as she nods. Yeah, somewhere round there.

"Oh, yeah, killin' forest," Beca seems to think she's welcome to continue with more of this conversation that doesn't need to happen, "Perfect place to play, like, laser tag. Or go BMX-ing."

"Whoo!" Yells Cynthia Rose, who is apparently part of this conversation now, "Bet you look so fine rippin' up the dirt track on one of them!"

"Hell, dude, we get quads and free-roam the forest, no tracks for this beast!" Beca just dropped back down in Aubrey's estimation, "Oh, but seriously, dude," Beca must have given herself whiplash with how fast she sobers and turns back to Aubrey "there are, like, thousands of nasties in that forest, you gotta be experienced and, even then, careful."

"Nasties?" Aubrey cringes as she hears herself use the childish word.

"Well, yeah, like, in junior year a bunch of people were attacked by some giant bear thing or something. Then, senior year, massive wolves. Like, massive," Aubrey thinks this must be the place, if wolves suddenly arrived. She doesn't remember them being all that big, but everything probably seems massive to Beca, "and then," she continues, "last year, even more wolves and also another thing came, but no-one knows what it really was, or I didn't stay long enough for them to have found out when I left-"

"Wait," Chloe cuts her off, "You're not a freshman?"

"Er... no, I guess." Beca answers, and elaborates no more, turning back to discuss surfing - in Washington, really? - with Amy and Cynthia Rose. Weird.

She tells Aubrey this when she's certain only they can hear.

"Yeah." She gets in response, "Maybe it's just personal, Chloe."Aubrey adds, almost harshly. They both know there are things in their past that only the other at Barden knows, but Chloe is nosy.

"Oh, yeah."

"Aw, come on, Chlo. Don't pout, babe." Aubrey juts out her own bottom lip and ducks her head towards Chloe, opening her arms for a hug, looking up at her girlfriend with big, sad eyes. Chloe could probably refuse - Aubrey isn't a pouting expert like her - but she would never want to anyway and practically leaps into the embrace, kissing the side of Aubrey's head. After a few seconds they pull apart and Aubrey begins the practice properly, dead on five past one. She made it five past one so that people would round down to one and feel obliged to at least turn up that early. She was pleasantly surprised when the first group today were even earlier than that (honestly, she thought it was all of them. Apparently there were two more. Ah, well, she only officially met them all yesterday.)


	2. Morning Haze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beca gets Chloe and Aubrey sprung on her. Yep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who got the blatant Twilight references last time? Yeah. Well done.
> 
>  
> 
> I'm not as funny as I think I am, am I?
> 
> For this chapter you don't have to have read the first fic in the series, but it might give more context, not that this fic is itself a massive spoiler for that one. (Well, no, it's pretty predictable and the tags give it away, anyway...)

"Morning!" Chloe has found Beca. Aubrey jogs to catch up, sitting across from the pair of girls now lazing against the tree and dropping her folder into her lap. It's pretty good. Front has an organizing pouch and it folds out into a mini-desk thing in case it's larger than the fold out ones in lecture halls. Does make it convenient to use on her knees on the quad, though. She got one for Chloe Christmas of their sophomore year that she's only seen a few times since.

"Ugh!" Beca groans as she feels Chloe's shoulder rub against hers and looks up to face Aubrey from her laptop.

"Nice to see you, too." the blonde deadpans, and Chloe's selective hearing seems to have kicked in because she doesn't frown at her.

"I said 'morning', Beca!" Chloe chirps up again. This girl cannot be fazed. It's awesome.

"Good morning, Chloe." Beca says with what seems like genuine kindness, the shock visible on Aubrey's face before she clicks around on her laptop a bit more before shutting it and pulling her headphones off. Aubrey doubts whatever she was doing was really schoolwork.

"Surprised to see you up this early." Aubrey comments because she can't help herself.

"It's nearly noon, dude." Beca glares as she's leaning away from Chloe to stow her things in an only mildly beat up bag. "I don't get up at 5 to have a jog like you, but I still make it to cheap breakfast." She's right, the meal plan is great here, even if Aubrey's never seen her at breakfast.

"Oh, Aubrey doesn't jog in the mornings," Chloe butts in, "We get up at 6, shower, practice our scales - sometimes in the showers because the acoustics are fab, oh, but you already know that - then we study a little bit then head to breakfast. Sometimes we get an early lunch and hit the gym, though."

Beca was rather impressed with that spiel. It's kinda nice how Chloe speaks for them as a unit, but maybe she has to because of how little Aubrey deigns to interact with such peasants as herself. "Well, guess I underestimated you, Posen." She concedes, figuring she can't just be doing it all to fit in with Chloe's routine; they've been girlfriends for about 3 days now - longer than all her own relationships, to be honest - and even though they've been roommates for longer Beca knows, if anything, Chloe would have to step up to match Aubrey. The blonde seems stubborn like that, but Chloe - for her part - would probably just refuse and get away with it. Unless Aubrey's in a really bad mood. Jesse told her about that at the auditions.

"I don't know if I've underestimated you." She gets back once Aubrey's scanned her a few times.

Chloe huffs next to her when that's been said, then leans over to discard Aubrey's magic folder onto the grass (even though it's worm season) and replaces it with herself. She's sitting side-facing so she can still talk to Beca, but fidgets trying to situate herself for a long time.

"Ungh," Aubrey grunts as Chloe shifts all her weight onto the tiny spot that Aubrey has resting on her shoe heel. It's painful. "Maybe you need some morning jogs, Chlo-bear."

Beca chortles. It's hilarious, so Aubrey cracks a smile and lets out a chuckle or two. Chloe pouts.

"Aw, come one, baby, you know I was only joking." Aubrey kisses Chloe's pout away chastely, but Chloe just pulls her back in for an open-mouthed kiss.

They hear Beca question "Chlo-bear?" at the same time Bumper begins hurling abuse at them. Since when was that little bitch allowed out when decent people were? Didn't his parents teach him any manners?

"Ooh, les-bi-ans! Les-bi-ans!" He begins to chant. Professor King cuts it off after a few repetitions with a warning glance and Bumper slithers back indoors. King does approach the group of girls, though.

"Hi, ladies," he greets, "Ms Beale and friends. Um, it's not exactly against campus policy to show affection in public, however it is discouraged." At Aubrey's challenging glare he backs up, "Not just for- I mean- For everybody, ladies." She smiles saccharine-sweetly like a Stepford wife, subconsciously making him speed up to leave them, "Although, ladies, maybe for your own safety, well, young men if they see. Um, two beautiful ladies, er, together, they might get rowdy." Aubrey drops her glare and King is no longer as flustered, but still nervy, enough to race through whatever else seems to want to spill from his mouth, "And I'm sure you're not oblivious to the homophobia here in the South, as much as we don't want it to be there, it is, and we most certainly wouldn't want to be getting you down from verbal abuse." He looks pointedly at Chloe, everyone knows her as a special flower, then continues, "Or, even, er physically, depending on how vehemently someone, er, believes in it." He's floundering again as Chloe looks like someone kicked her puppy, Aubrey just stroking her hair and kissing over her face as she does, actually, listen to the lecture, "And, some boys may become a little, er, excited about it, and could attempt to instigate intercourse, er, or a group, because of the attraction or, beliefs to, um, what would you say? Straighten you out."

Beca, who has been trying to keep a straight face the whole time, and Aubrey suddenly burst out in raucous laughter, Chloe giggling loudly herself. King blushes redder than Chloe's hair and finishes up. "Well, good day, ladies."

Once Beca's calmed down, being the last to do so, she turns to couple still sat as one on the grass. "So, er, how are you two?"

Aubrey looks lovingly up into Chloe's eyes and returns the stray wisp of hair that fell when she looked down to Aubrey, the blonde then kisses her girlfriend's cheek before replying "We're good", still looking at Chloe. It only lasts a few more seconds, though, as Chloe turns back to Beca to ask in response:

"How's Jesse?" Aubrey frowns a bit. Her opinions of Beca are behaving like a roller-coaster, she was honest about what she said upon greeting.

"Gay." she states bluntly, not appearing to actually care, and adds, "Same here." while sticking her fist out with her thumb pointing at herself. "He and Benji are planning me a movie-cation. They love Star Wars."

"Oh." Aubrey nods her head slowly, processing. "Good film."

"There are six of them." Beca points out.

"Return of the Jedi. Best one." Aubrey affirms.

"Really?" Chloe asks, only now caught up, "You don't seem gay, and you seem totally into him, too!"

Beca looks mildly offended before coming right back with, "Nor do you, and you seemed totally into that guy you were showering with when your sexy gay ass accosted me in the shower, and when you were sucking face before the civilians were kicked out at Hood Night!"

"Never had sex in a shower, Becs. Makes me feel good when I get guys turned on and leave them, though."

"You're a creep." She chuckles and Aubrey agrees, then confirms, "But, if you must know, I'm actually bisexual." The blonde knew she was right about Chloe cracking Beca's shell, she thinks, going over the exchange. Then, her mind hits some words she didn't fully acknowledge the first time around.

"Wait, wait!" She blurts out, stopping dead whatever Chloe was about to say next, "Did you just say that my girlfriend's 'sexy gay ass' 'accosted you in the shower'? Aca-scuse me?!"

"Yes. She did. She very much did. With some butch naked guy."

"Tom?" Aubrey now turns to Chloe, deciding she only wanted to clear the situation up and make sure it was no misunderstanding now she's heard Beca clearly wasn't fazed by the event.

"Uh-huh" Chloe nods. Aubrey thought he was Chloe's new boy-toy, but apparently not, "He's some kind of masochist. Likes to get all riled up only for nothing to happen so that he's, like, worked up all day and-"

"I heard enough." Aubrey interrupts, cutting her off. "No more talk about guys, or I'll puke."

Chloe puts a frown on and strokes her cheek, Beca's expression stiffens before weaning again, "Ooooh, so you're that way out." It's an almost question, but still more of a statement.

"What? Lesbian? Yes. Well done." Aubrey says, but she really is confused.

"No, you're like 'ew, men, penis, testicles, stubble all over, deep voice-" Beca begins, and Aubrey understands what she's getting at here, but has to cut her off right there.

"Oh, no, I actually quite like deep voices. Compliments me very well, and does a lot for me otherwise, too."

"That's... you guys are gross," Beca decides upon, "and you can't say you like deep voices but men repulse you! That's really hypocritical!" Yeah, she got that what Aubrey was alluding to was not purely musical. Well, music of nature and harmony of love but, whatever.

"Yes I can! Cher, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield - they all have low voices, just to name a few!" Aubrey defends.

"Wow, okay, wouldn't wanna make you puke, there, kinky." Beca manages to get the last word in and, just when Aubrey thinks they've hit a friendly rapport, chucks that at her. She's decided not to like Beca because of all the mind games, even if unintentional, that she's playing. One minute she's likable and the next she's despicable. Maybe about as bipolar as Chloe. You know, if she knew anything about that.

(Maybe it's just Aubrey. But she doesn't know anything about that, and it'll make her feel even more sick to try.)

 

As Chloe turns to settle and face Beca to start a new conversation, she elbows Aubrey right in the stomach.

"Geez, Chlo! Sorry, baby," Aubrey says, gripping Chloe's sides, "You're gonna have to get off." Aubrey tilts a bit to slide Chloe, now frowning, off of her.

"But..." Chloe says nothing more, just frowns like a little kid. She seems to be grown-up enough to recognize she hurt Aubrey though, and adds "Sorry, 'bree" before shuffling back towards her and snuggling tightly into her side. After a minute of rubbing against her arm, Aubrey relents and wraps it around Chloe.

"You guys are so cute." Beca tells them, sincerely, too - damn her!

"Thank you!" Chloe jumps up, causing Aubrey's arm to swing and nearly hit herself in the face, but was she expecting any less? Not really. She lands right by Beca, nearly colliding with the tree, and gives her a big hug. Beca doesn't seem so small when Chloe's around her acting like a little kid. They fit together in a way that makes Aubrey crawl a little over to them as Chloe pulls out of the embrace and practically snatch Chloe back into a backwards hug, resting her chin on Chloe's shoulder and kissing the girl's neck. Chloe plays with Aubrey's fingers while Beca watches them awkwardly, already being red from Chloe's hug attack.

"You get used to Chloe's hugs after a while." Aubrey breaks the pretty comfortable silence to tell Beca, and it sounds like they're two proper adults confiding to each other about kids who aren't in earshot. Or who are but don't understand or won't listen. Chloe seems to have been out it herself when she suddenly brings her head up from her hands, causing Aubrey to do the same, and then kisses her hard, moving the hands to hold Aubrey's jaw, Aubrey's going to Chloe's waist instinctively. Beca coughs. Chloe smiles. "What was that for?"

"I was thinking about what you said before practice the first day, it made me want to kiss you again so I did." Chloe replied. Beca would seriously like to know how she worked but, whatever.

"Er. I feel awkward. I'm gonna go." She announces after a grueling minute of the pair just staring into each others' eyes.

"Oh no!" Chloe says, and Aubrey almost forgot about Beca but didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable or exclude her when she's just got here and so nods determinedly. This seems to be what makes Beca drop from her about-to-extend-legs-to-stand position. Or maybe she fell back down. "We should all go get lunch together!" Chloe is practically singing and, well, she might as well be.

(Chloe did try to turn the place into something akin to High School Musical or Hairspray or Grease or - well, any musical at a school - when she became a Bella she was that excited. Did not catch on is an understatement. She was teased and Aubrey got to learn more about her past. So it was a win-lose situation, but they're through it now. This suddenly reminds her of Beca's secrecy as she's being pulled up by Chloe so they can all have lunch together and makes a mental note to ask about it, but gently.)


End file.
